Who Saw Leslyn Lewis Coming? Not The Chattering Class
“Shocked, I tells ya’. Shocked!”
That pretty much sums up the reaction of the embedded Canadian media on Sunday night/ Monday morning to the performance of outsider Leslyn Lewis in the Conservative leadership race. The rookie politician came within four percent of the points to top media favourite Peter McKay in the second round of voting.
Had she forced herself into a runoff with winner Erin O’Toole the results might have sent a shock wave through Canadian politics. As it is, the ascension of Lewis, a Jamaican-born woman, proved once again the gap between the perceived understanding of Ottawa’s political talking class and the realities of the Canadian public.
In the interminable wait for results (more on this soon), we were assured by the panelists and bien pensants that Lewis was a novelty item, a bit of a fluke who’d snuck up on the body politic. Yes, she’d raised a staggering $2 million for her first campaign. But, we were told, money can’t buy you enough support to topple the big boys.
And, the panelists (many Conservatives themselves) repeated that the social conservative thing is a loser with the Woke folk of the GTA, who—let’s face— are all that really count in matters of the politics practiced on TV and social media. Unless the Conservatives want to be buried by Skippy the Wonder PM again, they’d best drop the values thing and get Green.
But then Lewis won Saskatchewan and polled strongly throughout the country— including Alberta, the unrepentant child of Confederation. She glided into the second round of voting and clearly denied enough points in the CPC voting scheme to doom McKay, son of famed Tory veteran Elmer McKay.
After repeating the tired tropes about social conservatism since early afternoon, the assembled pundits were left scrambling when the vote came in. “Do you know anyone who voted for her?” “I don’t know anyone who knows her.” “Isn’t a black woman supposed to be a radical proponent of racial grievance?” ‘But she doesn’t speak French!” “What do we do next?”
They didn’t have a clue. She’d defied their stereotypes. This can’t be allowed to happen.
Lewis came up just short on the second ballot, but introduced herself— and her policies— to a public that is shielded from such recidivist notions by the Toronto/ Ottawa media experts. It’s a condition that’s made worse since the media titans have cut staff in the regions, preferring to define the country from their bunkers in YYZ.
In doing so she reinforced the populist mantra of the silent voters, the everyday Joes and Josettes who keep their affiliation to themselves when the pollsters call. Trump people. Brexit voters. Doug Ford supporters.
They couldn’t give a flip what the At Issue panel thinks— if they watch them at all. They didn’t care if the think-tank experts and consultant class believe that pro-life is a loser. With their money and their votes they reminded people that they are out there— your neighbours and colleagues. They didn’t care that CBC had swooned over Westmount High product Kamala— the proper kind of black woman— instead of the pro-life conservative.
While TV feminists bay at the moon about the unfairness of glass ceilings for women (you know who you are Rosie Barton), Lewis quietly sucked it up and went for it. She defied the stereotypes and placed herself as a coming force in Canadian politics (not that RadLeft feminists will notice).
Many of the newcomers to Canada come from conservative, pro-family backgrounds. But they are bombarded by messages in the culture that they must go SJW to be accepted. Lewis can give courage to many in the faith communities that being Canadian doesn’t equate with radical feminism or anti-family policies.
Erin O’Toole may want to bury these topics as he panders to the Toronto Star and CBC, but if he wants to succeed as prime minister he’ll need to broaden his appeal past the climate change/ Pro-choice/ pop culture memes of social media’s chattering class.
Finally, as a former broadcaster who sweated out many live situations , we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the job done by the hosts in ragging the puck for seven hours till the CPC nitwits found a machine that didn’t swallow ballots or envelopes.
Rosemary Barton (CBC) and Evan Solomon (CTV) were left up the Rideau without a paddle for hours. Yes, they grew ever exasperated as they were deceived by backroom types on when the vote would be announced. That’s only human. But they kept the show moving with only limited forays into unwanted editorial asides.
They could have been even more savage with the CPC. Let us be the umpteenth to ask, Had they not tested the vote counting machines? Is there no one who understands the value of proper set lighting, line of sight for the autocue and makeup? Lord help us, did no one vet Andrew Scheer one final time?
There was a tendency to overestimate the importance of being on time and making the editorial deadlines of the Eastern press. Face it, this was a summer Sunday and most people with a pulse were only peripherally interested in the machinations of Canadian politics. It would have been a bigger deal in winter when people are at home and glued to the TV or laptop.
But with so many Canadians repulsed at the incompetence and venality of the Liberal government, showing you can simply count a few votes after six months of prep seems like a pretty easy win. And the CPC booted it to the curb and then tripped all over themselves. Hardly reassuring for Canadians looking at at O’Toole and his party for a change.
Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the editor of Not The Public Broadcaster (http://www.notthepublicbroadcaster.com). The best-selling author of Cap In Hand is also a regular contributor to Sirius XM Canada Talks Ch. 167. A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada's top television sports broadcaster, his next book Personal Account with Tony Comper will be available on BruceDowbigginBooks.ca this fall.